Grads receive BC Transit passes

B.C. high school graduates in more than 50 communities will be able to ride the bus for free for two days of their choice during the month of June.

For the 30th year in a row, BC Transit and its partner communities are offering the popular GradPASS program for graduating Grade 12 students all over British Columbia.

“Congratulations to B.C.’s newest high school graduates. I hope grads will take advantage of this excellent opportunity for free transit,” said Claire Trevena, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. “Our goal is to support young people in taking transit now and hopefully for life: GradPASS is just one we’re working to build a culture of transit users in communities across the province.”

GradPASS was first introduced in Vancouver in 1988 to encourage safe transportation options during prom season. The Victoria Regional Transit System adopted the program in 1990, with other communities following suit over the years. Today, more than 50 communities across the province offer GradPASS cards to new grads every May.

“Graduating high school is one of the most significant milestones in the lives of many young people,” said Erinn Pinkerton, BC Transit interim president and CEO. “BC Transit is pleased to congratulate the Class of 2018, and to remind them of the importance of choosing transit as a safe, efficient transportation alternative — especially at this time of well-deserved celebration.”

To use their GradPASS, graduates only need to scratch off their two chosen travel days (they don’t need to be consecutive) and show the card to their bus driver at the time of boarding.

GradPASS cards will be distributed to local schools in late May.

For information on BC Transit schedules, routes and service alerts in your community, please visit bctransit.com, and select your local transit system.